“Camp Arataba in the Barton Flats area of the San Bernardino Mountains was located at an elevation of about 6,700 feet among huge Ponderosa and Jeffrey pines. My memories date from the 1950s.
A few yards up the hill from the parking lot and to the west was the main lodge. Up the hill from the lodge was the pool and bathhouse, constructed in 1954. In back of and along the up-hill or south side of the pool was the bathhouse at which swimmers could change, shower and use a couple of flush toilets, a rare commodity in camp! Scattered along the parking area and extending beyond the campfire circle were more than a dozen wood platforms covered by Army tent. These sleeping quarters were used by camp staff and a few visiting families of Scout leaders.
Visiting Scouts arriving on Sunday afternoons were assigned to one of five campsites, their temporary home until departure the following Saturday morning.
The camp chapel uphill in back of Campsite No. 2 was surrounded by huge Ponderosa pines that were separated such that one could look across the Santa Ana Canyon to the ridge of mountains south of Big Bear.
A gathering of all campers around the main campfire circle generally took place three times a week, on Sunday, Wednesday and always on Friday evenings The Friday night campfire ceremony would begin by a chief standing atop the rock wall in front of the campers, calling out to the Four Winds to send fire. At the appropriate moment, the kerosene-soaked wood in each firepit would ignite. A small wire wrapped around kindling was attached to a buried wire that led to manned batteries behind the fireplace. It was always a show-stopper!”
Tom Hooker
Camp Arataba Pages
Camps Pages
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